The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-17
STORY OF A STAMP.
D. K. WILSON, IN N. Y. WORLD,

VI" ~ 1s WALLnuNi IN M 4 mUKLDs
Blk years ago, James Brown, correspond
ence clerk In large importing house in
New York City, at the earnest request Of
bis vile, made his daughter Sylvia, aged
twelve, Christmas present OF a stamp al.
bum and packet OF 200 miscellaneous
stamps. =, t7as.5at,s ,ar.
"Really 1t ia waste OF money" he said,
"but II Sylvia has set her heart on such q
present 1t will be no harm to give them to
her" pa E1...
Sylvia took them, studied them, and
during tho next year, with the stampH her
father obtained from the FIRMS foreign let
tors, traded with her lchool friends for
others she did not have. When the next
Ohriatmas came around she had $50 neatly
arranged In her album, all on hinges, and
was quite an authority among her school
mates, who often brought stamps for ap.
praieal. Her little within had cost nothing
and had given her much pleasure-her
father some amusement.
September 10, 1883, Brown was arrested
and charged with robbing the firm OF the
cum Of $4,000. 1t was asserted that he
was not the principal but an accessory
and sharer Of the robbery. which had
been committed In April, 1882, by the as
Bistant cashier, William Waterman. Wa
terman hed to Canada, and from there to
Cuba. At first 1t WAS thought that he had
no accomplices, but in the early part oil
1883 one Of the members Of the firm, the
Junior partner, received an anonymous
letter saying that Brown was the instiaa-
tor Of the theft and sharer in it, as would
be developed in the course OF time, il the
receiver Of the letter would say nothing
and keep sharp watch on the ccrrespon-
dence clerk. tl Er5
Brown went on bis vacation September
l.. The junior member of the firm took
bis desk while he was away, and, In ran.
sacking 1t for missing letter from Santa
Lucia, found in an unused drawer this
note in an envelope bearing Santa Lucia
postage stamp:
3 Gastric, SANTA LUCIA, Oct. Is, 1882.
DEAR B.:-I am nearly strapped. Draw
81 900 from Bowery and send to me i'm.
medately. Draw $500 and send Nellie
from the Hancock, and take the remainder.
Thanks, old fellow, for the way you have
stood by mo. Direct R. R., in care OF Mrs.
Broadacre. Yours, Gar WILLIE.
The handwriting OF the letter wss in
stantly identified SIS Wsterman's. Upon
inquiry at the two savings banks, 1t was
found that the day alter the robbery 5000
had been deposited in one and $3.50 in
the other to the credit OF James Brown;
that Subsequent depoaits had raised these
to $500 and 81, $50; that ST 900 had been
drawn in May and another 81 900 in No.
vember, 1882. from one bank and $500 the
same day in November from the other.
The handwriting on tho envelope which
was directed to James Brown, care OF
John Armitage & Sons, was that Of q
woman-the peculiar English triangular
hand. ~ h. y.I,s,t.~... -.
When Brown came in Saturday, Ssp-
TENDER IL, to report that he had had a
good time and would be at his desk Mon
day morning. he was arrested and lodged
in the Tombs. There was a clear case
against him, and he could not get bail.
| He had but little money eaved, and when
the case was called for trial, December %,
tho outlook was black. He was not posi-
lively identified as the man who deposited
the money in the savings bank, but it was
man "like him." There was still 5000
to his credit In one bank and sl,O7O in
another. Waterman had been at Gastric,
October s, 1882, and the letter was in his
handwriting without doubt. To clinch
this evidence against him there had been
found, about month after his arrest, in
ono Of his old letter books, an unused Eve.
cent stamped envelope directed in wo-
mans hand, Frederick Random, care of
Mrs. Broadacre, Gastric, Santa Lucia
Browns counsel. did not believe his
client innocent and strongly advised him
10 plead guilty; but this Brown refused to
do. As the prosecution wove around him
the net from which there Seemed no pos
sible escape, even Brown lost heart, for,
when the District-Attorney resented, no
stronger case Of oircumstantiRl evidence
had been presented in tho General Ses.
aiors for years. The priooner went on the
stand. He could deny; but that was all.
As he was in truth innocent, there was
nothing to explain. No alibi was posi-
BILE. The prosecution conceded previous
good character. No defense was possible.
His counsel took Wattermsn's letter
from the envelope and handed 1t the pris-
oner, asking him il he had seen it before.
lSylvia and her mother were seated at the
counsel's table, directly behind the law
yer, and, as he did 30, Sylvia reached over
and picked up the envelope from the
table, A court officer touched her on the
shoulder, and che put 1t down face up
and continued to study 1t. Suddenly the
lawyer took up the envelope and held it
out. W g \ 5!..ts ..E74r
"Did you receive this envelope at any
time last year with any letter in it?"
II do not think I did," Brown replied
"but l received so many that I could not
swear did not. l5,s sE-2 la'ss7
"I know you did not, papa" Sylvia
said confidently, her sweet, clear, child.
ish treble being heard in every part Of
the dusky room.
At this there was small ripple OF con.
fusion. The lawyer turned to her q Gliding
face and shook his head. -! &. .ass
"That postage stamp was not used until
| .July of this wear. The DESIGN WAS onlv